Endemol UK has acquired a 40-percent stake in British digital production outfit Pure Grass Films.

As part of this investment, Tim Hincks, Endemol UK’s chief executive, and Peter Cowley, Endemol UK’s managing director of digital media, have joined the board of Pure Grass Films. This is Endemol UK’s second deal via its digital-media investment fund, which was established to acquire a portfolio of assets specializing in digital platforms. In August 2007 Endemol UK announced the acquisition of a 25-percent stake in digital-entertainment producer and distributor MoMedia International.

Pure Grass Films specializes in digital entertainment series with spin-off potential for TV, feature films and console games. Forthcoming productions from Pure Grass Films include Beyond the Rave, which will be released first on MySpaceTV on April 17 and followed by an international DVD release. Beyond the Rave is a 20-part horror series financed by Hammer Films. The series stars Sadie Frost (Dracula), Jamie Dornan (Marie Antoinette), Nora-Jane Noone (The Descent) and Tamer Hassan (Eastern Promises, The Football Factory).

Pure Grass Films was co-founded by managing director Ben Grass and creative director Tom Grass in May 2005. Prior to founding Pure Grass Films, Ben Grass was the director of Internet and mobile at Sony Pictures in London. He set up Sony’s mobile group in Europe and was responsible for the distribution of mobile content for movies such as Charlie’s Angels 2 and Spider-Man 2. Tom Grass wrote Beyond The Rave and has previously created mobile games for movies such as Charlie’s Angels 2 and Bad Boys 2.

Endemol UK’s Hincks commented: “Our digital strategy is simple—we want to work with creative people who have brilliant ideas. Ben and Tom fit the bill perfectly.”

Grass added, “We are delighted to receive this backing from Endemol and really excited about the opportunities it presents to develop our properties for cross-platform exploitation on a global basis.”